Memory - Model

About

When employing the processor’s memory management facilities, programs do not directly address physical memory.

Instead, they access memory using one of three memory models:

• flat (unsegmented),
• segmented,
• or real (deprecated)

Articles Related

Models

Flat

In the Flat memory model, Memory appears to a program as a single, continuous address space This space is called a linear address space.

The flat memory model is also known as the unsegmented model.

Code, data, and stacks are all contained in the same address space, the linear one

Segmented

In a segmented memory model, Memory appears to a program as a group of independent address spaces called segments. See Memory - Segment

Real

The Real-address mode memory model is the memory model for the Intel 8086 processor. It is supported to provide compatibility with existing programs written to run on the Intel 8086 processor.

It's a very old model.

Documentation / Reference

• Vol1 - 3.3 - Memory Organization 3.3.1 - Memory model of Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures - Software Developer’s Manual - Combined Volumes: 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D and 4.